Something About The Way You Move
by readmymind
Summary: It's your basic 'Lizzie and Gordo realize feelings for each other' story. There's a twist, but i'm not alluding to anything. You'll just have to find out for yourself. Review me, please. It's rated PG13 for things that will happen in later chapters.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: If I owned any of these characters, I wouldn't be writing about them at a fanfiction site. Got it? Yeah.  
  
A/N: This story will be set in the future, we're talking sophomore year of high school. It's going to bounce from different people's perspectives just to make it interesting. A majority of the story will be told anonymously and it'll change to Lizzie or Gordo's point of view sometimes. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter One:  
  
It was any regular day for Lizzie McGuire. She walked into Hilridge High School with her two best friends, Miranda and Gordo, in tact. They reached her locker and she began to gather up her things for first period, while Gordo and Miranda argued about Rhode Isand.  
  
"But, it's Rhode Island! It's neither a road nor and island! It doesn't make sense." Miranda whined.  
  
"It's 'rhode' spelled r-h-o-d-e, not r-o-a-d. It's different! I mean, sure the island part doesn't make sense, but the Rhode part doesn't even have relevance!" Gordo retorted.  
  
"Then what does 'rhode' mean?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. I can't know everything. It probably has something to do with Puritans and the day of yore or something."  
  
Lizzie laughed at their argument. It was so typical for them to argue about something that made no sense. She was almost convinced that they enjoyed having their stupid little arguments.  
  
"Hey, McGuire, what's so funny?" Gordo questioned.  
  
"You and Miranda. It's like you guys like to argue!" She replied  
  
"Hey, it's what we do. I mean, it would be like the sun didn't rise if Gordo and I didn't have our stupid arguments everyday." Miranda said, and then laughed with Lizzie.  
  
"Hey losers!" Rang through the hallways as Kate paraded by with her cheerleader entourage. She flashed the trio a snobby look and continued on her flashy procession. Lizzie and Miranda shot a look back, but only after Kate had turned head.  
  
"Ugh, what a snob. People like her don't deserve to parade around the school like that." Lizzie said with a grimace on her face.  
  
"Totally." Miranda agreed.  
  
"Don't let her bother you. People like Kate need to make fun of others just to make themselves feel better. Besides, who cares what other people think. As long as you've got your friends around to keep you in check." As usual, Gordo stepped in with his normal comments about how it shouldn't matter what people think of you. He thought by now that might have caught on. Just like how he that Lizzie might have caught on to the crush he'd developed for her. He thought it was pretty obvious. Miranda had caught on, but it seemed like Lizzie was oblivious to the obvious.  
  
The bell for first period rang and the three headed off to English class. Today was the start of a new unit: poetry. The class groaned as this was announced, but this information put an idea into Gordo's head. Maybe writing a poem for Lizzie could be an affective way to express his feelings.  
  
As the class ended and the three friends continued their journey onto science class, Lizzie began to complain about the tedious subject that is poetry.  
  
"Ugh, why do they teach us about the feelings of a bunch of old, dead guys when it doesn't even make sense. I mean, they write in this weird form and.. ugh!"  
  
"I think it's interesting," Gordo protested. "I might even try my own hand in writing some poetry."  
  
"Just make sure that it makes sense so that in a hundred years from now, kids in my position will understand." She smiled. He had every intention of making his poetry specifically understandable to her. He just hoped this would work out in his favor.  
  
A/N: Well, that's all I've got for now. This is my first time writing any kind of fiction. So, do the whole read and review deal. Some constructive criticism would be really nice. ( 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Same as last time, I do not own any of the characters in the story. Now back to your regularly scheduled fiction story:

Chapter Two:

_From the viewpoint of Gordo:_

I've been sitting here for hours… trying to write the perfect poem to show Lizzie how I really feel about her.  Perhaps I need more knowledge about this subject before I try and become an expert. My trashcan is filled with crumpled up pieces of paper. It was really foolish to think that I could write a decent poem after only one day of the poetry unit. I know what you're thinking… this can't have been my first time studying poetry… and it isn't.  This is merely my first time studying how to write poetry. All the specifics about meter and rhyme and rhythm. It can get really confusing.. especially knowing that if you don't do it _just_ right, it's a piece of rubbish.

So, I've made up my mind: perhaps if I rented some books from the library to speed up my learning process. I admit; I'm impatient. It's only because I really think that this might help me tell Lizzie the things I've never been able to say. I've always been told that I write eloquently, but that's only been for essays and such. I'm just hoping I'll have the same talents when it comes to poetry. Well, tomorrow's another day. Ahh, sleep.. a friend I hold dear.

_Anonymous viewpoint:_

The next day after school, Gordo made his way to the library where he took out a book of poetry and another book, which had a detailed outline of how to correctly write a poem. Afterwards, he went to Lizzie's house, where he met her and Miranda to do homework together. The three pulled out their English assignment. They had to make a structural analysis of an untitled, anonymous poem.

"I hate this structural analysis junk!" Miranda complained. 

"Totally! What's the point of figuring out how many syllables there are in each line? Does it really matter?" Lizzie whined along.

"Well, yeah, it does." Gordo replied. "You see, there's a certain pattern you have to follow. If there's five syllables in one line, there have to be five syllables in each line of that stanza. In this poem there's iambic pentameter." 

"Iambic pan-whater?" Miranda asked, with a confused look plastered on her face.

"Iambic pentameter. It means that's there's five syllables in everything, with an iambic stress pattern." He replied.

"That's nice, but.. what's iambic mean?" Lizzie asked.

"An iambic stress pattern is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable."

"Oookay…" Miranda said. Starting to understand, but still slightly confused.

"Well, think about rhythm. If you had the phrase 'another girl' in a poem, which parts of those words would you emphasize? In order to figure it out, you have to break it down into separate syllables and stress what comes most naturally. In this case, the 'a' in 'another' comes out unstressed and 'noth' comes out stressed. Then 'er'  is unstressed and 'girl' becomes the following stressed syllable. Make sense?" He said.

"Well, sort of. It's not entirely clear, but at least I have a better idea. Thanks Gordo." Lizzie smiled. "I never knew you knew so much about poetry."

"I told you I found it interesting… I guess I just really absorbed what was taught." He replied. He didn't know that he knew so much either. Paying close attention had really paid off, and the book he took out of the library seemed to help, too. He had only quickly skimmed through some random parts before taking it out, but even that affected his knowledge greatly. He looked at the clocked and noticed the time, six o'clock. "I ought to be going, guys. It's probably close to dinnertime, and you know how my parents are when I'm late for dinner. See you around." He picked up his backpack and his book of poems fell out. 

"Hey, you dropped this." Miranda said as she picked it up. "Hey, what is it? … A book of poems?" She opened it up. "…Love poems?"

"Hey, what's with that, Gordo?" Lizzie inquired.

"Like I've said before, I like poetry, it's interesting. I want to try writing some of my own." Gordo said. Good save, he thought.

"But, Gordo,_ love_ poems?" Miranda pressed.

"C'mon! Stop giving me a hard time!" Gordo said as he became nervous. He knew that Miranda knew his secret. He knew that she knew specifically why he'd gotten a book about love poems. "Can I have that now, I need to go home." Miranda handed him the book and he left promptly.

"That was really weird." Lizzie remarked after he left, without even saying goodbye. 

"Yeah…" Miranda replied.

"Wonder what's up with him?" Lizzie asked.

"If you only knew.." Miranda said under her breath.

"What?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh, nothing. Probably just some weird Gordo thing. You know how he is." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Lizzie agreed. "Nothing to worry about."

**A/N: It a little long because I knew where I wanted to go with this chapter, I just didn't know that it would take me that long to get there. Hope you enjoyed. Review!**


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: You guys know the deal by now. 

Chapter Three:

_Lizzie's viewpoint:_

I sat in my bed, trying to fall asleep. I couldn't help but think about that book of poems Gordo had. I mean, I wasn't surprised that he had a book of poems, just that they were love poems. It was really weird. At the same time, it was really cute. He did say he wanted to write poems, didn't he? Maybe he meant love poems… for a girl. I then thought to myself 'Wow, I bet he's got a crush on someone. Wonder who it could be?' Suddenly, I felt this strange feeling. I was suddenly disappointed that Gordo might like someone. Was it because he hadn't told me that he'd liked someone? I felt like that wasn't it. It's hard to explain. Then I said out loud to myself:

"Do I like Gordo?" Then I practically punched myself. "No. No way. I couldn't like Gordo."

It was too strange to think about. Besides, even if I did like Gordo, he would never like me back. We're best friends and best friends don't like each other. Sure, I had a crush on Gordo in the fourth grade, but it was the fourth grade! It didn't really matter then. I then decided that the reason I was upset was because Gordo hadn't told me that he liked anyone. I decided to ask him about it the next day.

_Gordo's viewpoint:_

It was late and I was still awake working on the perfect poem. I decided on a centralized theme for my poem: angels.  After all, I considered Lizzie an angel. She'd come down from heaven and helped me through the toughest times of my life. Sure, it's been a short life; I'm only 16. Still, the teenaged years are very stressful and having a friend – an angel, like Lizzie has been more than what I deserve. I looked down at my poem; it was finally coming together. I had the first two stanzas written and I was prepared to show them to Miranda the next day. They went something like this:

_You're an angel that nobody can see,_

_Still, an angel is what you are to me._

_An angel from heaven is what you are,_

_In my sky you're definitely a heavenly star._

_You're an angel with beauty and grace, _

_You're kind and sweet; you've an angel face_

_You have very graceful angel wings_

_Happiness, joy, and love are just some things._

I sighed. I was satisfied. Sure, perhaps the comments about grace weren't exactly on target when it comes to Lizzie, but I thought I could spare a bit of accuracy when it would be replaced with words of passion and love. I only needed a few more nights and then my poem would be finished. Then I'd finally be able to tell Lizzie how I really felt. I could only dream.

**A/N: I should be posting another chapter tonight. Thanks for all the reviews; they've really been helpful. I plan on throwing some kind of twist into this, but I haven't quite figured it out yet. Please leave me some suggestions. Lastly, the poem that is being used is not an original poem of my own. I found off of the website and it is written by Daniel Alexandre Antunes.**


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Yeah, you know the drill.

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

The next day, Gordo and Miranda had met at her locker so that he could show her the beginning of his poem for Lizzie. After carefully reading over it, Miranda had nothing but praise for Gordo's work.

"This is amazing. It's so heartfelt and sincere. This is perfect for Lizzie, she'll love it!" She gushed.

"Do you really think so?" Gordo stressed. "I don't want you to be telling me this for fear of hurting my feelings. I NEED to know you're honest opinion. This is so important, and I couldn't handle the thought of messing things up with Lizzie. The outcome could be irreversible. You can tell me if you think it's bad. I'm a big boy and I can take it."

"Gordo, I couldn't be any more serious. It's so obvious that you've worked really hard on this. I'm jealous that I don't understand how to do this stuff as well as you do. Really, Gordo, I think it's great!" She assured him.

"Thanks, Miranda. I'm glad to know that I can count on you for these things." He smiled. Just then, he saw Lizzie turn the corner of the hallway. She looked the same way she did everyday: stunning. Gordo was convinced that she'd look that way no matter how plain or detailed her ensemble for the day was.

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

I turned the corner and saw Gordo and Miranda at her locker. Miranda was holding a piece of paper and she looked really excited about whatever was written on it.

"Hey guys!" I greeted them, and they both returned it. "What's that you've got, Miranda. A loooove letter?" I teased.

"No." she said. "It's something Gordo wrote."  As soon as she said this, I glanced at Gordo. He looked really nervous about something.

"It's just me starting on my poetry I've been talking about. I-It's no big deal." He said, still nervous.

"Well, could I see it?" I asked.

"Sure." Miranda answered and then handed it to me. I saw Gordo lightly hit he with his elbow out of the corner of my eye when she did this. It was probably a love poem for the girl he liked, I thought. Maybe he's embarrassed? But why would he be embarrassed for me to read it and not Miranda? I pushed the questions out of my mind as I began to read. I finished and was amazed.

"Wow, Gordo. This is really amazing." I said.

"Y-you think so?" He asked.

"Of course." I answered. I decided to be brave. "So, who'd you write it for? Someone you like?" His face reddened. I felt sort of bad for making him uncomfortable, but I really wanted to know. I waited for a response.

"I-it's not for anybody. It's just… an experiment." He said.

"Oh, come on, Gordo! It has to be for someone. I can tell be the way you're getting all nervous. Come on, tell me who it is! You can trust me." I demanded. I saw him look to Miranda for help, and she shrugged. "Miranda, do you know?"

"Well… yeah…" She hesitated.

"Gordo! Why can Miranda know and not me? We're all best friends!" I was starting to feel hurt. 

"I don't know that I want to tell you Lizzie. I don't know how you'll feel about it. This is all really overwhelming for me and… please just understand?" He pleaded.

"It's not Kate, is it?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"No. NO. Never." He scowled. "Over my dead body."

"Alright, as long as I know it's not Kate. Could you at least tell me about her? What does she look like? Come on, please!?" I begged. 

"Well, she's a really amazing person. Smart, funny, kind, good-looking." He reflected. He looked so happy. "She's got blonde hair and the nicest hazel eyes, a-and." He stuttered.

"And what?" I asked.

"And… nothing." He said. "We better get going to class, come on." 

**Well, tonight's been filled with ideas. Tell me how you readers like the pace of this story. Is it too slow? Thanks a bunch. The story will continue soon.**


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I own the world! Just kidding.

Chapter Five:

Anonymous Viewpoint: 

A few days had passed and Gordo's poem for Lizzie was finished. He was sitting in his room contemplating the tactic for giving it to her. He decided to go to Miranda, the one person he'd repeatedly gone to for advice in the situation. He picked up the phone, and glanced at the clock to make sure it wasn't too late in the night. He had noticed that he would become so engrossed in his poetry that time would fly by and his internal clock was less accurate.

"9:30." He said to himself. "Perfect."  The dialed without hesitance and waited for someone to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Miranda said, just his luck that she would answer.

"Hey, Miranda." He responded

"Oh, hey Gordo. What's up?" 

"Not much, I need some advice."

"Listen, we've been over this a hundred times, I'm sure Lizzie will love the poem." She sighed.

"No, it's not that this time. The poem's finished and I think it's perfect." He answered.

"Well, great! No what?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you. How do you think I should give it to her?"

"Just hand it to her…?"

"No, not that way. It'd be too casual and I'd be too nervous. There has to be another way."

"So, you want to give it to her, without actually physically giving it to her?"

"I guess you could say that."

"What if you put it in her locker? You know before school started?"

"I think you're on to something here."

"It's perfect, she'll read the poem and she'll recognize it because she's already read the beginning." Miranda smiled, satisfied with another job well done.

"That IS perfect. It's a great idea. Thank you so much.. for this.. for everything! I'm greatly in debt to you, do you know that?" 

"Gordo, this is what best friends do. They help each other out. I'm just glad that you felt comfortable enough to talk to me about all of this, and that you trusted me enough to not tell Lizzie about it."

"Thanks again, Miranda. You've been a great help. I'm going to get going now. Tomorrow promises to be a stressful day and I need to be well rested if I'm ever going to stumble through. See you tomorrow." 

"Alright, see you then. Bye." She hung up the phone and smiled to herself. She was so happy that everything was finally falling into place. She decided to take the same route as Gordo had and headed to bed. Tomorrow would be stressful, she thought, for all three of them.

There's really nothing I have to inform any of you about. I'm just advertising that you review me and such. Expect more chapter(s?) real soon, I've got tons of ideas that I'm hoping you guys will like. 


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: In a perfect world, I would own all of these characters and I would be making large sums of money to put together new and exciting adventures for them to experience week after week for the public's viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, this isn't a perfect world; therefore, I own nothing.

Chapter Six:

_Gordo's Viewpoint:_

It was the next morning and I had woken up already feeling nervous. The first thought that entered my mind was that today was the day I would finally confess to Lizzie how I felt about her. How did I feel? Nauseous. I wasn't sure how she'd react. Miranda always seemed to positive and optimistic, but she could have been sparing my feelings. Then again, why would she do that? I've told her tons of times that I could handle her honest opinions – no matter how harsh. I tried to push everything out of my head. It was a merely nervous reaction that would brush off if I let my mind wander onto other topics. It was going to be tough, but as I continued my 'morning routine' I tried my best to think of other things.

An hour or so later, I had arrived at school. I wasn't used to be there this early, but I needed to ensure that I could beat Lizzie to her locker.  I met Miranda in front of her locker and we immediately devised a plan to make this as subtle as possible. Sure, there weren't many people in the halls yet, but this is middle school. Whenever you think no one is watching you, there's someone lurking around in the shadows to turn your actions against you.

We started operation and ventured towards Lizzie's locker. We both looked out for any potentially dangerous persons near us.  When we were sure everything was clear, I quickly walked to Lizzie's locker and shoved the poem through the air holes. I turned around and bumped straight into Larry Tudgeman. I sighed heavily. Even with the utmost precautions, I still got caught. Another reason to absolutely despise adolescent years and middle school.

"So." Larry began "A little love note for Lizzie?" He continued, accentuating his alliterations.

"It's nothing, Tudgeman. Mind your own business." I said as I frowned at him.

"What? Are you embarrassed? It's not like it's any big surprise that you like the lovely Miss Mcguire." He smiled slyly. Just then Miranda walked up and stood next to me. 

"Hey Gordo, I need your help on this math problem." She said as she pointed to a piece of paper. Leave it to Miranda to save me from this situation with a fake quandary.

"Oh, right away." I smiled at her. "Listen, sorry Tudgeman. Duty calls! Nice talking to you though." I said quickly and the two of us walked away. Larry stood there looking dumbounded.

"Hey, wait a second!" He shouted.

"Oh, Hey Tudgeman!" Miranda turned and said as we walked away. "Didn't see you there."

We reached her locker and laughed at poor Tudgeman's expense. I thanked her repeatedly; she really saved me back there. Just then I heard the Ethan Craft's voice booming through the hallways.

"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie!" He said cheerfully. My stomach jumped up into my throat. "How are you doing this fine morning?" I didn't hear her response because she's not as boisterous as Ethan. I felt my palms becoming sweaty and I looked at Miranda.

"Deep breaths, you're fine. Nothing's even happened yet." She assured me.

"But…but.. in a few minutes she'll be reading the poem. She'll know how I feel about her. This could completely and utterly destroy our friendship. I could lose her, Miranda." I was panicking. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. The thought of losing Lizzie as my best friend was absolutely terrifying.

"This could also create something really amazing, Gordo. I'm not saying you have to be completely optimistic about this, I'm saying don't make any assumptions until you're sure of what's happening." She said. "You never know. Lizzie could feel the same way."

"I hope you're right." I said. I peered around the corner and there she was… holding the paper, reading. I felt like I was about to pass out… or possibly even throw up. I had always been such a calm guy, where did all of my placidness go?


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Uh… I own this pair of fuzzy gray pants I'm wearing. I bought them with my own money! Other than that, I own nothing.

A/N: Yeah, it was mean to leave you hanging there, but I decided to be nice and submit this chapter ASAP. Since it's spring break, ASAP is whenever.  To ALH: thanks for informing me about the color of Lizzie's eyes. I couldn't remember whether it was brown or hazel, so I picked one. I'm going to keep it as hazel so that I don't keep changing the colors or something. Thanks a bunch, to you and everyone who's reviewed!

Chapter Seven:

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

I had just gotten to school and Ethan Craft had greeted me almost the second I walked into the building. It was amazing. In case you didn't know, Ethan's probably the dreamiest guy there is. He may not be too smart, but that's okay with me. I opened up my locker and noticed a folded up piece of paper fall onto the floor. I bent over and picked it up. It had 'Lizzie' written on the front. I opened it up and read it slowly.

_You're An Angel_

__

_You're an angel that nobody can see,_

_Still, an angel is what you are to me._

_An angel from heaven is what you are,_

_In my sky you're definitely a heavenly star._

_You're an angel with beauty and grace,_

_You're kind and sweet; you've an angel face._

_You have very graceful angel wings._

_Happiness, joy, and love are just some things,_

_That an angel can give, and to me you've given._

_In my heart and on my mind, is where you're livin'._

_You have hair that is as soft as cotton._

_A guardian angel is what I've gotten_

_Your eyes are like sapphires that shine bright._

_When everything is dark, you give me light_

_You're an angel that gives me a reason to live_

_You're the angel that teaches me to give_

_You're the angel that makes me live another day_

_You're the angel that teaches me the right things to say_

_You're my angel and you'll always care,_

_You're m angel and you know I'll always be there._

_I've been dying to tell you how I feel about you and here it is._

_Love always, my angel, _

_Your Secret Admirer._

I was shocked. That was the most beautiful poem I'd ever read. It really didn't have much to compete with because I haven't read too much poetry, but still… it was beautiful. I tried to figure out why it sounded to familiar. Then… it hit me. This was Gordo's poem. I shook my head and tried to get my thoughts together. I felt this strange feeling in my stomach… butterflies? My heart was racing. It seemed so odd that Gordo liked me, but so satisfying at the same time. I wasn't sure how I felt yet and I wasn't sure what to do. Call me crazy, but I think I really do like Gordo.

**More chapters soon, promise. Once again, Daniel Alexadre Anutes wrote the poem used. It can be found at the lovepoetry.com website.**


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer:  Since I last updated, I bought the entire Disney Company. I now own Lizzie McGuire, all of its components and then some. I will soon be moving to California so that I monitor all that goes on with my new investment.

Oh come, that's a load of BS and you know it. : )  Don't own anything.

Chapter Eight:

_Gordo's Viewpoint:_

I peered around the corner and watched Lizzie as she read the poem. She looked confused at first and I thought that that was it. I'd ruined the best friendship I'd ever had because I couldn't control my desires and keep them to myself. Then she smiled! I dismissed my previous thoughts and regained my confidence. Maybe I didn't ruin anything at all. She seemed a little nervous. Just then Miranda spoke up.

"See? Told you she'd like it!" she boasted.

"I-I guess. What am I supposed to do now? I can't just casually walk up to her and say 'hey Lizzie, so about that poem,' can I?" I asked.

"You could." She began, "But I wouldn't. Why don't you just wait until she approaches you." 

"That could take forever. I could die of impatience."

"Knowing Lizzie, she'll probably be confused and come to me for help. I'll insist that she talk to you right away."

"Do you think that will really work?"

"I'm not really sure, but I'll try my best. If it starts to take to long, you'll just have to take matters into your own hands."

"That's what I was afraid of." I sighed. "I better get going. First period… with Lizzie."

"Ouch." Miranda said. "Try not to be too nervous. Everything will be fine and everything will work out for the best."

"Thanks, Miranda. You've been so great. I promise not to make you a third wheel if anything happens with me and Lizzie." 

"If? What do you mean 'if'? Something's definitely going to happen. I can smell it."

"If you say so." I smiled. "See you later."  The rest of the day was really shaky. I talked to Lizzie, but not much was said. Neither of us brought up the poem and it was probably best that we didn't. I greatly preferred discussing the matter with her in private accommodations. The suspense was killing me though; I found it difficult to concentrate on my studies because I just wanted to know what Lizzie thought about the poem. Patience is a virtue. Patience IS a virtue. Patience sucks.

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

I had just gotten home from school, a very interesting day if I must say. I looked through my purse and took out the poem that Gordo had stuffed in my locker. I read it over again slowly. It made my heart race. It was such a new feeling. Even when I was dating Ronnie, I hadn't felt this… flushed. I didn't know what was coming over me. More importantly, I didn't know how to deal with this situation. I decided to call Miranda because…well… I couldn't call Gordo for help on this one.

"Hello?" Mrs. Sanchez said into the phone.

"Oh, hey. Uh, is Miranda there, Mrs. Sanchez?" I asked nervously.

"Yep, just a second, Lizzie." She answered. I waited for a few seconds and then Miranda picked up the phone.

"Hola!" She said cheerfully.

"Hey." I answered back weakly.

"Hey, what wrongs?" 

"I need some advice."

"Is it about the note Gordo left you?"

"W- .. What? How'd you know." 

"Hey, I have connections. He's my best friend too, ya know. So, what's the problem?"

"Uh.. er.. I." I stuttered. I was baffled. Miranda was in on this too? I felt so out of the loop.

"Come on, Lizzie, spit it out. I'm going to the mall in fifteen minutes and I can't be late!" She said impatiently.

"What am I supposed to do? Should I go talk to him? Should I let him talk to me? What should I do?" I blurted out, with a word speed of about 100 words per second.

"You need to go talk to him. He's waiting for you to come to him because he's too nervous to go to you himself." She said, matter-of-factly.

"You really think so? Are you sure he's ready to talk about it? Am I ready to talk about it?"

"Listen, he's dying to talk to you about it, trust me, I know. As for you, just go and talk. If you don't talk to him now it'll be even harder to talk to him later."

"…Okay.." I thought for a minute. "Then.. I'm going to get ready to go over to his house in a few, I guess. Thanks for your help Miranda. I better get-"  She cut me off.

"Before you go." She said. "Just tell me one thing. How do you feel about him?"

"I-I don't know." I said. "I think I like him, too… I just need to figure out how things would be if we dated. I mean, I don't want to make you the third wheel… or leave you out. I want everything to the same as it always was. I don't want him and me dating and ruined things with you and me."

"Trust me, Lizzie, I won't let that happen." She assured me. "Promise."

"Thanks a bunch Miranda, I'm really going to get going now. Bye" I said. She said goodbye to me and we both hung up. After that, I went to look in the mirror at myself. Was my face okay? Did I need make up? Any new zits? Then I stopped myself… it was Gordo I was going to talk to. He wouldn't care. Why was I trying to impress him when what normally impressed a guy wouldn't make any difference to Gordo? More importantly, why was I trying to impress Gordo?

"Because you like him, duh!" I said to myself. I got a little flushed at my own outburst. I left a note for my mom, telling her I was at Gordo's and walked over to his house. My heart was racing when I reached the door. I pressed the button for the doorbell and waited anxiously.

"Come on, Gordo." I said to myself, softly. I watched as the doorknob began to turn.

**It took me a couple of days, sorry guys. Expect one or two more chapters by the end of the night. Hope all you people who celebrate have a good Easter tomorrow. Keep on reviewing and please don't be afraid to submit any ideas or tell me anything that you'd like to see happen. Thanks again, guys.**


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I must question: Is this even necessary anymore? If you've following the story for this long, you MUST know that I don't own any of these characters and that I have no affiliation with them whatsoever. I digress; on with the story.

Chapter Nine:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

The door opened slowly and Lizzie bit her lip in anticipation. This moment seemed to drag on and on.

"Uh…hey." Gordo said as soon as the door was fully opened. With the sight of Lizzie, his nervous system went haywire. He wasn't alone in this assessment, as Lizzie's heart rate had greatly increased.

"Hey." She smiled. "Can I come in?" She wasn't sure how to go about discussing the matter at hand. She was sure that he knew why she was there, though.

"Yeah.. Sure." He answered. He led her into his house and then into the living room to sit on the couch. "Something you want to talk about?" Lizzie took a deep breath. 

"Yes. A-and I'm sure you know what I want to talk about-" She paused, but before she could continue, Gordo spook up.

"I know, I know. It's about the poem isn't it?" He sighed.

"Yeah, I-" He cut her off again.

"Listen, if you don't feel the same way, it's okay. I'm not hurt. I don't want to ruin anything because of the way I feel. I promise I can suppress my own feelings and I won't let them change anything." He blurted out.

"Hey, you didn't give me a chance to say what I wanted to say!" She exclaimed.

"Oh.. uh.. sorry. I'm really nervous, if you couldn't tell." He chuckled and she nodded. "Um.. please…continue."

"Well.. I wanted to say that… I think the feeling might be mutual. I-I'm not really sure how I feel. This is all so sudden, but you're poem was so…. so… amazing. Whenever I read it, I-I get chills down my spine and it makes me feel… well… special. Really special." She said, and then breathed in slowly.

"So… what does this mean?"

"I'm not really sure. I-I want to test myself."

"How are you going to do that?" He was becoming quite confused. He barely understood anything she said. An uncomforting feeling entered his stomach.

"I-I don't know…" She thought for a minute. "What if… we went on a date? I mean, just you and me… to the movies or something."

"Sounds good to me." He said, as the uncomfortable feeling slowly began to repress. "If you're unsure about your feelings, perhaps a romantic environment where the two of us are alone together can help you figure out your emotions."

"Yeah…" she said. "Well… uh.. when do you want to go?" She said nervously. Somehow, the ice hadn't been broken for her and she was still incredibly apprehensive.  She credited this feeling towards her inability to figure out if dating her best friend would work out. She decided that she had nothing to lose and that if things didn't work out romantically, she promised herself that she wouldn't let it ruin their friendship.

"How about this weekend." He suggested. "There's a special showing of _Citizen Kane_ at the Wilco."

"Sounds good." She smiled. "I better get going, Matt's going to be home from school soon and I can't let him terrorize the house unless I'm there to watch." She laughed. She got up to leave and walked over to the door.

"Wait a sec." Gordo stopped her. She turned around with a questioning face. He mustered up all of the courage inside of his body, moved forward and embraced Lizzie in a hug. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, and he swore that was the best feeling in the world. After they let go of each other, she smiled at him and let out a soft giggle. "See you later, Lizzie."

"Bye, Gordo." She smiled and then let herself out. After he was sure she was out the door and onto the side walk, Gordo threw himself onto the couch and let our a relieved "Yes!"

**I originally had Lizzie and Gordo seeing the movie _A Clockwork Orange_ because I figured it's really artsy and something Gordo would appreciate. Then I realized that it's rated R and that would never fly with their parents. Go me.**

**Thanks again for all the reviews. It's really been a motivator when it comes to writing. I go back to school starting tomorrow, so if the chapters become less frequent, I'll credit it to my lovely schoolwork. I'll try to get at least 2 chapters up a week.**


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: Considering this IS a fanfiction site, it wouldn't make sense if I owned these characters. Especially since this site doesn't accept original fiction stories anymore. Plus, if you've stuck with my story for this long, you all know that I own nothing.

A/N: To Bob, who left a review: we must have psychic vibe or something, because that's EXACTLY what I was going to do. Way to read my mind, man. Heh.

Chapter Ten:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

For both Lizzie and Gordo the days until the weekend, when they would venture on their test date, seemed to last forever. Both anticipated this date for similar and different reasons. Lizzie was incredibly anxious to discover if she really had feelings for Gordo.  Gordo was excited to finally take Lizzie somewhere where they could interact intimately.

It was 5pm and Lizzie was prepping herself for her big date. After her last check into the mirror, she walked downstairs and ran into her mother in the kitchen.

"So, the big date with Gordo, huh?" She smiled.

"Yeah." Lizzie said. "I don't look too nervous do I?" Since middle school, a special bond had formed between Lizzie and her mother. It wasn't the friendship that Lizzie had once tried to attain, but she found herself more comfortable talking to her mother about an array of subjects. When she first told her about the situation with Gordo, though she was quite nervous about the entire issue, she still felt more at ease talking with her mother about it than anyone else. 

"Honey, you look fine." She affirmed. "And don't worry, everything's going to work out just fine. You and Gordo both care a lot about each other and even if it doesn't work out in a romantic sense, you'll always be best friends. You two have known each other all your lives and you've struggled through many other situations worse than this."

"Thanks, Mom." Lizzie smiled. She glanced at the clock. "I'm going to get going to Gordo's house. Thanks for everything mom, I'll see you later."

"Bye, Honey. Have fun." Jo called after her daughter as she walked away. She smiled to herself and continued with her housework.

Lizzie walked to Gordo's house, breathing deeply to ensure that she was calm when she got to his door. Once there, she pressed the doorbell and felt a slight feeling of deja-vous. The same nerves that pestered her a few days before had come back for a sequel to that performance.

Gordo opened the door and smiled at Lizzie. She smiled back and felt heart beginning to beat faster again.

"Hey!" He smiled. She returned his greeting. He called back to his parents in the house that he was leaving and would be back in a few hours. They began to walk down to the sidewalk and then to the movie theater. They were both extremely nervous and hadn't said anything to each other since he had opened the door. Somehow, and not explainable by himself or anyone else, Gordo found a large boat of courage and spoke up.

"Lizzie?" He asked. She turned her head and looked at him.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"Uh.. could I… hold your hand?" He said nervously and blushed. She returned the blush.

"..I'd like that." She said. The two teens entwined their hands and continued walking to the theater. The rest of the journey remained silent, but it didn't bother either of them. Gordo has been musing about how nice it felt to finally be holding Lizzie's hand and have it meant something. Lizzie was also thinking about this and trying to calm herself still. She had nearly reached a calm state, but once Gordo had taken a hold of her hand, she felt as if she'd been knocked back to square one. Once they reached the movie theater, Gordo paid for both of their tickets, even though Lizzie had protested. They sat in the movie theater, hands still connected. 

About an hour had elapsed, and Gordo found himself bored by the movie. His mind was clearly focused on Lizzie and what could happen if everything went well for him. He looked over at her and admired the way she intently watched the movie. He knew that she hadn't seen this film before and she was also very interested in new things. Lizzie felt Gordo's eyes on her, and turned her head to face him as well. She smiled at him as they locked eyes.

Gordo didn't know what came over him, but he felt himself leaning in towards Lizzie and noticed her leaning in as well. It was as if two magnets were being attracted. Their lips met in a sweet, simple kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but both were satisfied. Lizzie squeezed Gordo's hand slightly, smiled at him and turned her head back to the screen. Both were filled with an indescribable happiness.

Little did they know that they had been seen, attaching themselves by the lips in the theater. A few rows back sat a very disturbed any jealous boy. Overcome with anger, he decided then and there that he would tear the two apart and get Lizzie for himself. He smiled devilishly and left the theater to devise a plan. He WOULD get his way.

**Yeah, it's mean to leave you hanging, but you have to admit – it's fun in the anxious way to sit around and wonder who/what/when/where/why.  I'll have the next chapter up soon. I don't like watching you guys suffer for too long.**


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah .. I'm poor. Blah blah blah… I don't own anything. Blah.

A/N: Holy Jesus, people. Either Bob's been spilling his psychic vibe to ALL of you, or you're just really creepy. Whoever asked for Miranda (I forget who did, sorry :X!) this was the EXACT chapter that I was going to tie her into this. And, you know, I thought the jealous guy would be a surprise, but someone else already guessed. Which makes me raise the question: is this story ridiculously predictable? Ah well, I'll continue. Oh, and Bob: you are my hero for no other reason than you amuse me so. Rock on! 

Chapter Eleven:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

Ronnie Jacobs briskly walked down the sidewalk with a vengeance. He was overtaken by jealousy and not paying too much attention to where he was going. He turned the corner sharply and crashed right into someone. The force of the collision was so intense that it caused the person he'd run into to fall to the ground.

"Oh, gosh. I'm sorry… I wasn't watching where I was going." He said quickly. He took a look at the victim: a girl, with beautiful raven hair and tanned skin. She had a unique fashion sense, which he thought suited her well and he found her outward appearance to be quite attractive. He outstretched his hand to help her up. She stood, looking displeased.

"Maybe you should watch where you're going next time." She scowled. Suddenly her facial expressions softened. She squinted her eyes. "Hey… do I… know you from somewhere?"

"I-I don't know." He stuttered. "I don't think so…" She thought about for a second and then it hit her.

" Hey, were you ever a paper boy?" She asked.

"Yeah… why?"

"And you delivered papers around this neighborhood?"

"Yeah…"

"Did you, by any chance, deliver for the McGuire's?" She asked. Ronnie was slightly confused, but answered her.

"Yes.."

"I'm Lizzie's best friend!" She said excitedly. "Didn't you date her for a little bit." The mentioning of their dating ignited the jealousy again, but his jealously soon subsided when he realized how perfect this was. This would be the perfect start to breaking up Lizzie and her new interest so that Ronnie could have her all to himself.

"Yeah, I dated her for a little while." He said, trying to stay cool. "Uh… what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Miranda." She smiled. "Lizzie used to talk about you non-stop. It was kind of annoying." He chuckled at this statement and thought to himself 'She'll be talking about me still when I get my way.' 

"Miranda." He said. "I like that name." His plan was created and he couldn't be more satisfied. He could get to Lizzie through Miranda. Sure, it wasn't morally correct to use her best friend, but Ronnie was selfish. He expressed little interest in the potential pain that Miranda would feel and focused more of the fact that he could get what he wanted.

"Thanks.."  Miranda said nervously.

"Say, Miranda." Ronnie began. "Do you think we could hang out sometime?" He flashed a winning smile at her. She blushed and responded:

"Yeah, sure.. I-I mean as long as Lizzie doesn't mind." 

"Well, how about I get your phone number and I'll call you later and you can tell me what Lizzie said." He smiled at her yet again.

"Sure." Miranda smiled back. She was excited. It wasn't everyday that she literally bumped into someone who immediately took an interest in her. They exchanged phone numbers and Ronnie walked her home. When she was home, she found it difficult to clear her face of a dopey grin. She hoped that Lizzie would be comfortable and as excited about this as she was.

Well, there you go. Review and junk.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: 

Now, I'ma bout to lay down this rap

I own nothing and that's a fact

Not Miranda or Gordo or Lizzie

Cause if I did, I'd be makin' lots of shizzie.

Okay, so my Disclaimer Rap™ really sucked. Heh, I tried.

A/N: Like I've said before, thanks for all the great reviews! And thanks to Bob for not spilling my ideas for this chapter. Now, on with the show: 

Chapter Twelve:

_Lizzie's Viewpoint: _

 The movie had just ended and Gordo and I were walked out of the Wilco. Our hands hadn't let go since we had walked to the theater. It had been a magical time and I decided that I definitely had feelings for Gordo. It was weird to admit because we were best friends, but he made me feel really good inside. I felt so safe and comfortable.

We had been walking along the sidewalk for a bit. It had been silent and I was desperately wishing that I could think of something to say.

"So…" I began. 'Genius, Lizzie.' I thought to myself.

"Yeah.." he replied and then chuckled.

"Um. What does this mean for us, Gordo?"

"I-I don't know. I really want to ask you out right now, but I don't want to step over any lines.. or coerce you into something you don't want." 

"Well, Gordo." I began and breathed in to steady myself. "This was one of the best times I've ever had. Everything felt so right a-and I'm really glad I decided to do this. And… and I would like it if you asked me out right now." I closed my eyes and breathed again. Gordo stopped us both and he turned towards me.

"Lizzie." He began. "Would you give me the pleasure of being my girlfriend?" He took a hold of my other hand.

"Yes." I said simply. We both leaned in and our lips met in another kiss, much like the one we had shared in the movie theater. After we parted, I smiled at him and we started walking home again. We didn't talk the rest of the way home. We stopped on my doorstep and he hugged me.

"This has been an incredible evening." Gordo said, "and I want to thank you for such a nice time."

"You're welcome… a-and thank you." I smiled. We kissed again and said our goodbyes. I let myself into the house and walked into the kitchen where I found my mom.

"Hey Honey! How'd the date go?" She asked.

"Mom, it was great. One of the best times I've ever had." I said and smiled.

"Honey, I'm so glad." She replied. "It's really great that you and Gordo are working out. You know, deep down inside, I always knew something like this would happen."

"What? How?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, you've known each other all of your lives. You trust each other. You respect each other." She said. "Plus – it's been really obvious that Gordo's had a little thing for you for the past few years." She smiled and I then thought to myself – was I really that unobservant that everyone else could see Gordo's crush and I couldn't? Then I thought that maybe the reason I couldn't see it was because he hid it from me up until I got the poem in my locker.

"I see." I said to my mom. I wasn't really sure what to say to that. "Well, I'm going to go relax upstairs, mom." 

"Okay, Sweetie. Dinner will be ready in about a half hour." She said as I walked out of the kitchen. "Oh.. and Miranda called earlier!"

"Thanks, mom!" I called back. I went upstairs and called Miranda in my room. I was ready to tell her everything that had happened with me and Gordo. "Hi? Miranda?" I said when she picked up the phone.

"Lizzie!" she said excitedly. "I have THE BEST news!" 

'Hey' I thought. 'What's she so excited about!? I'm the one that went one a date!'

"What? What happened?"

"Well." She began. "I was on a walk outside before and I ran into this really cute boy!"

"Wow, Miranda! That's great! What happened?" Her news was just as exciting as mine!

"Well, he gave me his phone number and I'm going to call him later!" She said excitedly.

"That's great! So.. who is this guy?"

"Well…" she hesitated. "It's someone you know…"

"…okay…" I said. "It's not, like, Tudgeman, is it?"

"Eww! Eww! No!" She said quickly. "It's.. um…"

"Come on, Miranda, spit it out!"

"Uh… Ronnie." She paused. "Y-you remember Ronnie, right?"

"I—yeah. I remember." I said. I was happy for her, but bothered that this new, cute boy she liked was Ronnie. It didn't make sense; I knew I was over Ronnie. And, now I have Gordo, so there shouldn't be a problem, right? It just didn't feel right.

"So!?" She said. "What do you think?" I didn't answer. "Lizzie?  …Lizzie?" she repeated. I still didn't answer. I wasn't sure what to say.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of this story, I merely own the situation in which they are immersed. I do wish that I owned them, as I've stated many times before that characters like these would make me a millionaire and who doesn't love money?

A/N: Well, today I came across the amazing realization that the fanfiction website isn't blocked in my school. (Our school provides students who want to be involved with a laptop that we pay a fixed amount for each month. It's supposed to 'enhance the learning environment' but it just creates more ways for me to not pay attention in class.) Seeing as this website isn't blocked, it allows me to update this more frequently than I had previously expected. Cool, huh? Thanks for the reviews, kids, keep 'em comin'.

Chapter Thirteen:

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

"Lizzie!? LIZZIE!" Miranda was now screaming into the phone. "Tell me what you think? Don't make me use your full name and you know I will!" I snapped back into reality.

"Miranda, I-I think it's great that you and Ronnie might become something." I blurted out. I wasn't really sure if that was how I felt, but if I had Gordo was there any reason why Miranda couldn't date Ronnie?

"You really think so? But… then… why did it take you so long to answer." She asked.

"I-I'm not sure." I started. "I mean, I know I'm totally over Ronnie and now that I have Gordo it should work out just fine. It's just kind of weird that you might date my ex-boyfriend."

"I see.. are you sure you're comfortable with it?"

"It might be awkward for a little bit, but I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Okay." She said and I could tell she was smiling. "Good. pause Hey, did I hear you say you 'had' Gordo?"

"Uhhh… Yeah…" I said as I blushed.

"Girl! Spill!" She said excitedly.

"Well, we went to the movies… and held hands the entire time…"

"Awwww!" She gushed.

"And, we kissed. He asked me out on the way back home and I said yes."

"Wow, that's great!" She said. "Wait, you kissed!? Whoa!" I laughed. 

"Yeah.." I said sheepishly.

"So, what's it like to kiss your best friend?" She joked.

"Ugh! Shut up! You're the one who encouraged me anyways!" 

"I know, I'm just joking around." She replied. "Seriously, I'm happy for you. This is going to work out great. I mean once you're used to, hopefully, me and Ronnie, we can double date!"

"Yeah!" I said, still feeling bothered by the thought of her and Ronnie. Something really didn't seem right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I then heard my mom call me down for dinner. "Hey, Miranda… my mom just called me for dinner, so I've gotta peace."

"Okay, talk to you later, then!" She said. I then hung up and went for dinner. I sat down at the table and noticed my dad smiling at me really weirdly.

"What?" I said impatiently.

"So, you and Gordo?" He asked and winked.

"Ugh! Mom!" I whined.

"I'm sorry, Honey." She laughed, "but he's my husband, how could I not tell him?"

"Ewwww, you're best friend as your boyfriend? Talk about GROSS!" Matt said.

"Shut up, worm. I'll have you know that Gordo is a great boyfriend and it's none of your business anyways." I shot back at him.

"So, is he a good kisser!?" Matt teased as he made kissing noises.

"Could we _not_ talk about my love life at the dinner table?" I asked.

"Okay, okay." My mom began. "Matt, leave your sister alone."

A/N: Well, that's all for now. It's my first integration of Matt into the story. I just wanted to let you guys know that he's only going to serve as a background character. I have nothing against Matt; I just can't fit him into the story as anything other than the occasional insult towards Lizzie.

And, by 'occasional' I really mean 'once in a blue moon'. Sorry if that upsets anyone.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: 

Well, I'ma gonna lay down some more phat rhymes

Since i got so much praise for my stylin' last time

These characters are owned by the Disney Company

Now that that's ova', let's get on wit da' story.

A/N: Okay, so my rap kind of lied because we're not getting onto the story _just yet_. Thanks again to everyone for their reviews. I know I warned you last week about decreased frequency of updates, and I'm afraid I'll have to warn you again for the next two weeks. Tomorrow night, I'm going to a concert (Taking Back Sunday/Recover/Count the Stars/Coheed & Cambria for anyone who's interested), Thursday I'm going to a meeting because my school band is going to Massachusetts next weekend, Saturday is my prom (!) and then Sunday I might be making some money at a dance competition. I'll try to feed you kids a couple new chapters. Thanks!

Chapter Fourteen:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

A few days had passed and Lizzie hadn't heard much about Miranda and Ronnie. She tried not to think of it and to keep her mind focused on more important things. She had been sitting on her bed, working on her Biology homework when the phone rang. She picked it up:

"Hello?" She said into the receiver.

"Hey, chica! It's Miranda." Lizzie rolled her eyes and thought 'Who else would it be? Only one person ever calls me 'chica'."

"Hey, Randa, what's up?"

"Well," she began "Ronnie wants to go on a date with me this weekend. On Saturday."

"That's great! … What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, I asked him if he would want to double with you and Gordo and he was really into that idea. So I figured I'd call and see if you were up to it." Lizzie's stomach turned at the mentioning of a double date. She decided to leave her insecurities behind and agreed to go on the date.

"Sure, I'd love to go. I'll call Gordo and make sure everything's okay with him. I'll call you back if it's not."

"Alright, talk to you later then." 

"Coolie." Lizzie said as she hung up the phone. She then proceeded to dial Gordo's number.

"Hey!" She said, after Gordo's mother had given the phone to him.

"Hey, McGuire, what's up?"

"Well, Miranda just called and she wanted to know if we'd be interested in doubling with her and Ronnie."

"Well, that's okay with me, but it's really up to you. I know you've been uncomfortable about this whole Ronnie and Miranda situation."

"I already told her that it was okay with me. I figure that if he makes her happy, then I need to get over the discomfort and this is the only way, right?"

"That's really mature of you, Liz. I'm proud." He smiled. "So, what day are we going?"

"Saturday." 

"What are we going to be doing? Do you know?"

"She didn't say, but I'm sure we'll figure it out beforehand."

"Great. I better get back to homework, you know me… work, work, work." Lizzie smiled at his remark.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, my angel. Sleep well." Gordo said and then hung up the phone.

Lizzie leaned back on the headboard of her bed and sighed dreamily. Gordo had grown accustomed to calling Lizzie his angel since they had solidified their dating. It made her feel exceptionally special and also made her heart flutter each time he said it. She had to admit to herself, she was quite pleased with all that had happened to her. Everything seemed so perfect that she felt as if it was obligatory that something come along and throw everything off balance. She thought perhaps that was the bad feelings she'd get about Ronnie. What if it didn't work out with him and Miranda? What if he totally changed the three amigos? Lizzie couldn't bare the thoughts of this. She quickly closed her math binder and abandoned her unfinished math homework. She prepared herself for bed and then slept. Unfortunately, she had trouble sleeping, despite Gordo's directions to do the opposite.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah blah. I'm so tired of these stupid disclaimers. Let's just look at it this way: I haven't own ANY of these characters for the last fifteen chapters, what would make you think that I own them now?

A/N: I was such a nice author that I gave you two chapters in nearly complete succession. Wee!

Chapter Fifteen:

_Gordo's Viewpoint:_

It was Saturday evening and I was preparing to go on a double date with Lizzie, Miranda and Ronnie.  Much like Lizzie, I had been cautious of Ronnie's presence, but I tried to conceal it so that I could comfort Lizzie. I figured that it wouldn't do much good if both of us were apprehensive. After I had finished making myself look decent for a date – what? You thought I wouldn't care about how I looked? Well, the way I look at it, everyone cares about how they look, just some to a different degree. Of course, some are completely out of control with the way that they make sure they're perfection before they leave their household, but that's not my problem. Everyone's vein, I think, that's why you look in the mirror before you leave the house. There's really nothing wrong with being concerned with one's appearance, just as long as it's a healthy concern. Anyways, I walked over to Lizzie's and patiently waited inside the doorway after her mother had let me in.

I watched as Lizzie descended the stairway, it felt like one of those badly written, badly directed teenage movies where the drop dead gorgeous female lead walks down the stairs in slow motion. She looked beautiful, as always and perhaps that's what gave it the clichéd feeling. Of course, this was Lizzie McGuire, just as soon as the moment had began, Lizzie's trademark klutziness kicked in and she tumbled down the stairway. Luckily, she had been about three quarters of the way down, so she'd only fallen down a few steps. I rushed to her and helped her up.

"You okay, there?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You get used to taking falls when you're a total klutz and fall every day of your life." She laughed lightheartedly and I joined in. 

"Ready to go?" I asked and took her hand into mine.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said and breathed heavily, I sensed her pensiveness.

"Still nervous about Miranda and Ronnie… primarily Ronnie?" I asked; she nodded. "Listen, everything is going to be fine and I'll be there with you in case you can't handle anything. If you need leave, you just say the word and I'll get you out of there. We'll get through this together and stop worrying… everything will be fine. I'll see to it." As soon as my last words escaped my lips, she threw her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much." She said. She kissed me with a fiery passion, and caught me by surprise. 

"I didn't know that what I said was worth a thank you like that." I smiled. She kissed me again. "I meant every word."

"I know. I'm just so thankful and so lucky to have you. Thank you so, so much." She smiled.

"Listen, we'd better get going, otherwise we'll be late for the dinner reservations." We left the house and walked over to Miranda's. Her parents drove us to the restaurant, where we met Ronnie.

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

As soon as I saw Ronnie in the restaurant, my stomach felt weak. Miranda instantly perked up and when I saw the happiness in her face, I felt slightly better. A greeter brought us to our table and the four of us sat down. Gordo kept a firm grip on my hand, which I found comforting. I noticed Ronnie's arm loosely hanging around Miranda's waste. There was that feeling again. I decided to go to the bathroom to try and calm my nerves.

"Erm, I'm going to go to the bathroom really quick." I said, hoping that nobody else would follow.

"Uh, I think I'll head that way, too." Ronnie said. 'Great.' I said. "If you don't mind, Lizzie?"

"No, no problem." I answered. I figured once I got to the women's' bathroom, he couldn't bother me. I got up and made my way over to the restrooms when suddenly I felt someone's hands on my waist. "Gordo, I didn't know you—" I said as I turned around. "Oh, Ronnie. Uh… uh… What are you doing?"

Before I knew it, I had been pulled into the empty men's bathroom and pushed up against the wall. Ronnie kissed me hard of the lips. I could taste alcohol on his breath, which sickened me. I had been offered alcohol on special occasions like holidays or celebrations and never really cared for it. 

"I want you, Lizzie." He breathed into my ear and then nibbled on it. "And, I'll have you. No matter what it takes."

"Ronnie.. I-You.. broke up with me. A long time ago. I have Gordo now and I'm happy." I blurted out. 'Please let this end now, please' I thought.

"I regret having broken up with you.. Now that I've seen you and I know how hot you've gotten. I want you back. I WILL have you." He pressed his body against mine.

"Ronnie!" I struggled to break free. "Please… let go of me!" He kept a tight grip on me and I did the only thing I could think of to get myself free: I kneed him in the groin. He quickly fell back and I ran out of the bathroom with tears streaming down my face. I rushed to the table and Gordo looked up with questioning eyes.

"Gordo.. I-I need to leave. Miranda, I'm sorry.. I just.. I need to go."  I grabbed Gordo's hand and dragged him out of the restaurant, leaving Miranda there, astounded.

_Gordo's Viewpoint:_

Lizzie had just dragged me out of the restaurant. I stopped her once we'd gotten farther away from the building.

"Lizzie, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Gordo.. I…" she started. I watched the tears rolls down her face and I wished like nothing else that I could make this better. "I.. can't tell you. I want to, but I can't."

"But.. Lizzie… how do I know how to help you if you can't tell me what's wrong?" I asked, "but I can't respect that you need time before you tell me whatever just happened. Just… just tell me if you're okay."

"I'm … no… not really."

"What can I do to make you feel better?" 

"Just hold me. Please. I'm so sorry, I just.. I can't explain."

"Shhh." I consoled her as I sat down on a bench. I pulled her down onto my lap and placed a kiss on her forehead. "It's alright, Lizzie. Everything will be fine. I promise I'll fix whatever it is whenever you're ready to tell me." 

We sat there on the bench for a long time. I tried my best to calm her down and she eventually stopped crying. It felt good to have her in my arms; I'd just wished that it were for a different reason than her being upset. I continued to place feather-soft kissed upon her face as the minutes passed.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimer: So, Disney called me up this week and asked me if I'd like to take over Lizzie McGuire. Cool, huh? Yeah, I thought it was exceptionally cool… except for the part where that didn't really happen. Heh, I don't own the Lizzie McGuire show or the characters. I simply have a strong appreciation for them.

Chapter Sixteen:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

The days since the incident with Lizzie and Ronnie in the restaurant had passed.  Lizzie still hadn't told Gordo about what happened and he hadn't pressed for any information. Miranda had asked about it too, and she refused to give the information to her as well. Lizzie was starting to put it past her. She had been heavily analyzing the situation and remembered that Ronnie had been drinking that night (she could taste it on his breath).  She comforted herself by thinking that perhaps his actions were the result a one drink too many.  Maybe what had happened meant nothing, she sure hoped so. 

She had been at school one morning when Miranda joyously came running up to her in the hallway.

h

"Lizzie!" She squeeled.

"Hey! What's up?" Lizzie responded.

"Well, things are going REALLY good for me and Ronnie. This is so exciting." She gushed.

"That's great. I'm happy for you, Miranda. I'm really glad things are working out so well." Lizzie spat out, again reminding herself that Ronnie had been under the influence of alcohol and anything that happened meant nothing… she hoped.

"Yeah, he wants to hang out this weekend!" She smiled. "But…"

"But?"

"Well, I can't have him over at my house because my parents are having some friends over for dinner.  It'd be really embarrassing with my parents there and I can't even think about what it would be like with their FRIENDS there, too." She shuddered. "So, I need to ask you a favor."

"Yeah…" Lizzie said, a little skeptical.

"Well, you left in a hurry when we tried to double date last weekend and I thought maybe… the four of us – I mean, you, me, Ronnie and Gordo – could all hang out at your place as sort of… a make up date."

"I-I don't know, Miranda." Lizzie began. "I mean… my parents will be there and you, yourself, said it'd be embarrassing with parents there."

"No, I said _my_ parents being there would be embarrassing. You're parents are cool; they don't hang around when you have friends over! Please, Lizzie!? I promise I'll make it up to you! Plllllease!" Miranda whined.

"…Okay." Lizzie finally gave in. "But you owe me!" She laughed.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!!" Miranda squealed. "You're the best, Lizzie." Lizzie smiled at that remark. Just then, Gordo walked up behind them.

"What's are we so excited about?" He asked.

"Me.. and you and Lizzie and Ronnie are going to hang this weekend at Lizzie's!" Miranda said excitedly.

"We are?" Gord said, with a confused face. Lizzie shot him a look, which told him to be happier about it. And he quickly caught himself with, "Oh, we are! That's great! Can't wait." After all the excitement died down, Miranda excused herself to class and happily bounced off. Gordo then took a hold of Lizzie's hand.

"You're sure you're okay with that?" He asked, with evident concern in his face. "I mean, it didn't work out too well last time…"

"That's exactly the reason why we're hanging out. I skipped out on the last double date and I wanted to make it up for Miranda. Plus, she begged me and wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer." 

"Alright. But the same rules from last time still apply. If, for any reason at all, you are not comfortable with what's going on, you tell me and I'll get Ronnie out of your house. And I'm still really proud of you for putting your discomfort behind you to support a friend. You have no idea how amazing you are, Lizzie McGuire."  Lizzie blushed as she sheepishly looked towards the floor. Gordo lifted his hand to her chin and directed her eyes to his. He placed a sweet kiss on her lips and then the two left for their first class.

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Keep supplying them; it's a really good motivator.  Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it was kind of boring (in my opinion. I needed some filler, though) and the next one should be up quite soon if it isn't up already. : )**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I could be the owner of something like Lizzie McGuire and all it's majesty, I am merely a fan who's got nothing better to do than create fiction stories. Heh. 

Chapter Seventeen:

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

It was Saturday, the day that Miranda, Ronnie and Gordo would be over to hang out.  I was nervous about Ronnie, but luckily most of my discomfort that I had before had gone away.  I asked Gordo to come over earlier than the rest of the group because I knew that'd he'd help a lot in calming what was left of my nerves. The doorbell rang and I paced myself as I walked to the door.

"Hey!" I said as I opened the door. 

"Hey yourself." He replied and then kissed me quickly before coming inside the house. "How are you feeling?"

"A little nervous, but better than before." I replied. We sat down on the couch and Gordo put his arms around and pulled me close.

"Don't worry about a thing, McGuire.  Everything will be fine. We're just going to hang out, what's the worse that can happen?" Gordo was so reassuring and I was so happy that I'd had him over before Miranda and Ronnie. My mom walked in a few minutes later to lay down some rules like she always did. I didn't like the way she still babied me, even thought I was now sixteen.

"Lizzie, I'll be out back working on the garden in case you need me. And-" she started. I cut her off.

"I know, Mom. I need to behave myself and present myself in an acceptable manner. I know." I said.

"Okay, Honey. You kids have fun, and if anything goes wrong, just remember that I'm right out back."

"Okay." I said with an annoyed tone in my voice. She left the room and a few minutes later the doorbell rang. "Here goes nothing." I said as I got up from the couch to answer the door.

"Hey!" Miranda said excitedly when I opened the door.

"Hey, Lizzie. What's up?" Ronnie said. I smiled at him and then led the two into the living room.

An hour or so had gone by and things were going great! We just sat and talked about a bunch of stuff and it felt really relaxed. I decided that I just felt weird because Ronnie was my ex-boyfriend and it was weird to see my best friend dating him. I watched them together and they had great chemistry. It was almost like they were made for each other. Maybe things would work out for the best after all. 

"Mmm, I'm thirsty!" I said, "I'm going to go get a drink, anybody want anything?"

"Yeah, could you get me a coke, Lizzie?" Miranda asked. I nodded my head and looked at Gordo.

"Nope, I'm good." He said. I then looked towards Ronnie.

"I don't need anything," He said, "but could you show me where your bathroom is?"

"Yeah, sure. Just follow me." I said. We walked past the kitchen and I pointed out the bathroom for him and then went back to the kitchen. I got some cups out and started filling one with soda. I heard footsteps behind me and without looking said:

"Oh, Ronnie. Is that you? Did you decide you wanted something?" I asked. I didn't get an answer. "Ronnie?" I asked again. All of sudden I was turned around and pushed against the counter. I was face-to-face with Ronnie, who's expressions looked stern and resentful. I could tell that the look on my face was of complete terror, because I was terrified. I couldn't think of anything to do.

**A/N: Ah, those lovely cliffhangers. Don't you love them? I sure do. Heh. Drop me some reviews, I'll continue soon.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Disclaimer: Contrary to (un)popular belief, I do not own the Lizzie McGuire show, movie, characters, anything. Have a nice day!

A/N: I don't know why I thought of this, but in case anyone was wondering about the title of this story, I thought that I should tell you. So, (drum roll please) I stole it from an Incubus song entitled "Echo". It's a truly beautiful and compassionate song that if you haven't already heard, I strongly suggest that you download it and listen to it. The song also reminds me of what, in my mind, Lizzie and Gordo's relationship is. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and on with the show (since I know you're all DYING to find out. :D)

Chapter Eighteen:

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

I was pressed up against the kitchen counter, which Ronnie gripping me tightly. I still had a glass in my hand because he had interrupted me from getting drinks for me and Miranda. I was panicking, while still trying to keep my cool. I struggled to get free, but Ronnie just held tighter. Boy, was he strong!

"Ronnie! What are you doing!?" I said in a slight whisper. He slammed my body against the counter and kissed me.

"I told you.. I want you, Lizzie." He breathed. "And I'm going to have you. Whatever it takes I WILL have you." He had fire in his eyes and it terrified me. I tried once again to struggle free, but he just pushed me against the counter even hard with his hips. I could feel his stiffness against my thighs, which sickened me. He kissed me again, and this time I couldn't taste any alcohol on his breath. 'Oh Gosh' I thought to myself. 'He really means this.'

"Please, Ronnie! I don't want any of this! Please, let me go!" I pleaded. He slammed me against the counter again. I dropped the glass I had been holding and it smashed on the floor.

"I don't care if you want it or not. I'll get you. You'll be mine." He said and then kissed me again. Just then I saw Miranda and Gordo running into the kitchen.

"Lizzie, we heard a glass shatter…and---" Miranda said as her face changed from concern to confusion and hurt. "W-What's going on?" Her lip quivered.

"I..I..Miranda…" I began, but Ronnie slapped me across the face.

"Shut up, bitch. Let ME handle this." He said.

"Hey!" Gordo shouted. "You don't hit Lizzie like that…" he said, as he walked towards us. Ronnie elbowed him in the stomach and Gordo stepped backwards while bent over. 

"Step away, little man. I want Lizzie and I'm going to have her. She's going to be mine and you can't stop that."

"What makes you think I can't stop it?" Gordo asked. I noticed Miranda had left and I panicked (more so then I already had been) because I thought she'd left because she was angry with me. Suddenly, she and my mom came running through the back doors.

"What is going on here?" Mom yelled. Ronnie let go of me and stepped back, he let out a grunt because he had stepped on broken glass.

"This creep is trying to hurt Lizzie!" Gordo said while pointing at Ronnie. Ronnie tried to play dumb and act like he didn't know what was going on.

"Well," Mom began, "My advice to you, young man, is that you leave my home this instant before the police are called." How did my mom manage to stay calm in all of this? Tears were streaming down my face and my heart was pounding. I still didn't process what had happened. It was all so confusing. Ronnie began to back out of the kitchen. He turned around before he left the house.

"This won't be the last of me!" He shouted. "I'll get the bitch, I will. Lizzie, you WILL be mine." He left the kitchen and I slid down the counter until I hit the ground and sat. Gordo rushed over to me, avoiding the glass on the floor and cradled me in his arms. I looked up at my mom and gave her a look telling her I wanted to be alone with Gordo. She looked towards Miranda, who was also crying.

"Listen, Honey," She said to her. "It looks like you need someone to talk to, how about we go into the living room?" Miranda nodded and they left. When they were out of the room, I looked up at Gordo. I sobbed into his chest as he hugged me.

"Let's get you out of this mess." He said and then pulled me and we carefully walked to the kitchen table. I sat down in a chair and he pulled one up close to me so he could take me into his arms again. We sat like that for a long time until I finally broke the silence.

"Gordo? Remember at the restaurant, when I freaked out and we left?" I asked.

"How could I forget? That's been racking my brain since it happened. I've been dying to know what hurt you so much, but never asked to respect your decisions. I have a premonition that it has to do with Ronnie now, though." 

"Yeah.." I started. "Well, when I went to the bathroom and Ronnie came… he pushed me into the mens' bathroom. And…he.." I began to cry harder.

"Come on, Lizzie, you can tell me."

"He pushed me up against the wall and wouldn't let me go. He kissed me and told me that he wanted me and that he'd have me. I didn't know what to do… so I kneed him and ran out and got you…" I sobbed.

"Lizzie," He began, "if he did those things to you then why'd you let him come over here today? And why couldn't you tell me? If I had known sooner, we could have stopped this from happening completely."

"Well, when he kissed me… I tasted alcohol and thought maybe he was drunk and that maybe it didn't mean anything. I thought maybe he wasn't acting himself." I looked up at Gordo. "And, I didn't tell you because… I was afraid you'd get mad and me and I was afraid to lose you. You've been so good to me and I couldn't bare the thought of not having you as a boyfriend or a friend."

"Lizzie!" He said, looking outraged. "There is nothing, NOTHING, that would ever cause me to leave you. You're the most important person in my life and I have every intention of forever with you. I couldn't imagine life without you. I will do everything in my power to keep Ronnie away from you from now on." His eyes were filled with sincerity and they sent shivers down my spine. He was comforting, but I was still really scared about the whole situation. I buried my face in his chest once again as I cried. "Lizzie, it's going to be okay.. come on, talk to me.." Gordo begged.

"David, I-" I breathed. "David, I'm scared. I'm terrified." She sobbed harder.

"Lizzie, don't worry, we'll take care of this and—and… you called me David…" He said.

"I…I know."

"I know this isn't the best time to be asking this, but… why?"

"I..don't know. It just felt right." I choked out. He rubbed my back and squeezed me tightly.

"I like it when you call me David." He said sweetly and then kissed my forehead.

"What if Ronnie tries to hurt me? What if he tries to hurt you? What if Miranda hates me forever? What if-" I was panicking again and he cut me off.

"Shhhh. I won't let Ronnie hurt you or myself, and Miranda won't hate you. It's not you're fault that Ronnie's a crazy psychopath." He brought his fingers to my chin and brought my face to his. "Lizzie, everything will be under control, I won't let anything happen to you – ANYTHING. You mean far too much to me and I love you too much." He kissed me then and I melted into his arms.

"Y-you love me?" I asked after the kiss broke.

"With all my heart." He said, "don't worry about returning the sentiment, Lizzie. I know that I love you because I've loved you forever. I don't want you to say the words to me just because I said them to you. When you tell me you love me, I want it to be because you know you do. The reward makes the wait worthwhile." I kissed him when he finished speaking, and then rested my head on his shoulder. We stayed like that for a long time. It was just like last weekend outside the restaurant. 

**A/N: I figured a nice, long chapter like that might keep you happy for a while. Hope you enjoyed. : )**


	19. Author's Note

Author's Note: I just wanted to let my readers know that I am going to continue this story; I'm just bogged down with work right now. I leave tomorrow for my band's trip to Boston, Massachusetts and I'll be there through Saturday. Things should start to slow down a bit once I return, so expect some new chapters by early next week. Once again, thanks for all the reviews and support, it pleases me to know that so many people think so highly of my writing. I promise I won't leave you guys hanging for too long. Thanks a bunch! 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Disclaimer: I know it's been awhile since I've submitted a chapter; however, the same parameters exist. I do not own Lizzie McGuire, or anything in relation to Lizzie McGuire.

A/N: Well, it really HAS been awhile, hasn't it? Thank you all for being so patient. I'm still kind of busy, but not so bust that I can't take some time to write. So, never fear, a semi-steady flow of chapters is coming your way. I'm thinking about wrapping this up in 3 or 4 more chapters (depending on how long it takes me to get where I want to) and then making a sequel. What do you guys think? Anyways, onward!

Chapter Nineteen:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

It was the morning after Ronnie had attacked Lizzie in her kitchen and she had only calmed down slightly. She found is very difficult to sleep that night, and she woke up thinking that maybe everything that happened was a dream. She sleepily walked out of her room, where she bumped into Matt.

"Uh… H-hey sis…" He stuttered.

"Oh, hey worm." She fired at him, expecting him to fly back with an insult about morning breath. Instead, he just looked at her with an odd expression on his face. Lizzie couldn't quite pick it out; he almost looked concerned. "What's wrong with you?" She frowned.

"I- well, nothing. I-I just wanted to know how you were doing…." He stared at her. It hit her then, he was asking about the situation with Ronnie yesterday. 

"O-oh.. I'm fine." She lied.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She assured him that she was fine, even though she really wasn't. She didn't feel like elaborating on her feelings for her little brother. She walked past him and down to the kitchen to serve herself breakfast.

"Hey, Honey." Her mother said as she walked into the room. "You feeling any better?"

"I-I guess, Mom. It'll take awhile before I'm really over it, though."

"I understand. Something like that isn't able to be erased from your mind after a day."

"Yeah…" Lizzie spooned some cereal into her mouth and then thought aloud, 'I wonder how Miranda's doing…."

"Don't you think you ought to go see her?" Her mother hinted.

"I-I guess… I'm just afraid she'll be mad at me. And, what if she's not ready to talk about it yet?"

"Don't worry, Honey, she's not mad at you. She's ready to talk, too."

"Mom, how do you know?" 

"Mom's just know." She smiled coyly, "and I talked to her yesterday afternoon. She definitely needs to talk to her best friend." Lizzie nodded, finished her breakfast and then prepared herself to go over to Miranda's to talk. She didn't think to call because it had always been all right for her to just stop by when she needed to. About an hour later, she began walking to Miranda's.

"L-Lizzie…" Miranda said, after opening the door. "I wasn't expecting you. I-"

"I know." Lizzie cut her off. "I thought we should probably talk… Can I come in?"

"Sure." Miranda accepted and led Lizzie into the living room. They sat on the couch in silence for a few minutes for Lizzie spoke up.

"Miranda, I'm really sorry for everything that's happened. I-I didn't know at first that Ronnie was like that. When you first mentioned him, I did have some uncomfortable thoughts, but I thought that I was being silly. Then at the restaurant.. when I freaked out… it was because he kissed me." She blurted out.

"THAT'S what happened at the restaurant? Why didn't you tell me!?"

"I was afraid to tell you. I thought you'd get mad at me." Lizzie choked out. She also told him about the taste of alcohol that lingered on Ronnie's breath at the time.

"Lizzie, I-I don't know what to say."

"I should have said something.. it's just that… you wouldn't have believed me! You would have thought I was lying or jealous or something."

"Lizzie! I would never-" Miranda said, at first outraged, but her expression changed when she thought about what Lizzie had said. "I guess you're right. I mean, right now I wouldn't have said you were jealous or lying, but then I guess I would have."

"Miranda, I'm so sorry for everything that happened. It was all my fault and I screwed up really bad this time."

"Lizzie, i-it wasn't your fault. You didn't know… and you were afraid to tell me. That would have happened to anyone." Miranda said. Both had eyes welling up with tears as the hugged each other. They vowed that from that point one, they would both tell each other about anything that was important, and in return each would take what the other said into objective consideration. While they were talking, Lizzie's eyes fell to Miranda's wrist, where she saw and unfamiliar mark.

"Miranda…" She said. Miranda's eyes followed Lizzie's gaze and she realized what had been seen. She quickly pulled her sleeve down as a feeble attempt to cover it up. "Miranda! What was that!?"

"I-It's nothing… don't worry. I-I'm fine." Miranda blurted. Lizzie grabbed at Miranda's sleeve and the two began to fight to either close the sleeve or open it. Finally, after much fighting, Lizzie rolled the sleeve up. The sight she saw was actually appalling: three cuts had been mutilated onto the top of Miranda's wrist. Lizzie looked at her in shook. "Lizzie…I-"

"Miranda, what are you doing to yourself!? What… why.. how?"

"I-I was so upset yesterday. I mean, I thought everything was going so well with me and Ronnie and it turns out that he's just using me. I didn't know what to do… i-it was the only thing that seemed to take the pain away…."

"Miranda." Lizzie said as she hugged her. "I'm so sorry you felt that way. But… it really scares me that you did that. I mean… didn't it hurt? Wasn't it weird to watch yourself… bleed? I-I can't imagine."

"I-I don't know. It just kind of happened. I didn't want to… it just felt like I had no control."

"Just… promise me you won't do it again. Promise me that the next time you feel that way that you call me… or come over… or something. Even if it's 2 o' clock in the morning." 

"O-okay… I don't want to turn into one of those people who cuts themselves because they can't deal." She said. Lizzie hugged her again.

"Just remember that I'm always here for you… no matter what."


	21. Chapter Twenty

Disclaimer: I can't make it any clearer to you that I don't own Lizzie McGuire or anything of relation to it. On with the show.

Chapter Twenty:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

Days had passed since Lizzie and Miranda had talked. Lizzie had tried her best to help Miranda get over what had happened, but she knew that it would be a long process. She suggested that Miranda try to find someone else to date, but she insisted that she wasn't ready to go on to something else. She was afraid that she'd end up using someone to get over Ronnie, and she didn't want what happened to her to happen to anyone else. Lizzie had been spending a lot of time with Miranda, and subconsciously neglected Gordo. He hadn't taken any special offense by it, as he knew that Miranda really needed her best friend at these times. Lizzie had promised him that they could spend some time together on the weekend, while Miranda would be attending a family reunion.

_Gordo's Viewpoint:_

It was finally Saturday, when I would be spending some time with Lizzie. I'd really been missing her the past few days, but I knew that it was for a good cause. She was to come over to my house to just hang out, maybe watch a movie or something. I liked hanging around the house with her better than going out to the mall or the Digital Bean. Things felt so much more intimate and less restrictive. I was engrossed in my thoughts when I heard the doorbell knock me out of my world. I got up to answer the door and there she was, looking beautiful as usual.

"Hey!" I smiled. She stepped in and kissed me. I led her over to the couch and pulled her onto my lap as I sat down.

"Wow, you don't waste anytime, do you?" She giggled. I squeezed her tightly in my arms.

"I've been away from you for so long. I'm going to hold you close for as long as I can." I said, and kissed her neck. 

"Well, I won't complain." She turned her head and our lips met again. This time with more passion, our kisses were longer and more needy. I tactfully slid my tongue into her mouth and both our tongues danced together. I could feel her hands running through my hair and it was driving me wild. My arms were tightly wrapped around her waste. I began to slowly lean back, pulling her with me and she ended up sprawled onto of me as I lay on the couch. I quickly took a moment to think about where my parents were in the house right now. I didn't want this to end in such a way that my parents came in and delivered a lecture about the importance of abstinence. 'Good,' I thought to myself 'I believe their both upstairs.'

She pulled her mouth away from mine and trailed kisses to my neck. Her kisses were still fiery and passionate when they were placed upon my neck. I felt her warm tongue against my skin, which sent an indescribable feeling through my body. I love the feeling of her tongue in contact with my skin, but I wanted her lips upon mine again.

"Mmm, come back to me, McGuire." I breathed out. She brought hers to mine again and we reverted to our dancing. I found my hands wandering on her back. I gently rubbed as they moved further and further down her back. I wasn't sure what was controlling my moves, but everything felt right, so I figured I was okay. My hands reached the bottom of her shirt and, without even thinking, I lifted her shirt and allowed my fingers to explore her back. When she didn't stop me, I continued to expose all my hands to her skin. I rubbed her soft back gently and began to move my hands upwards.

"Gordo…" She said between kisses, there was a hint of worry in her voice, which I was stupid enough to ignore at the time. "Gordo…?" She said again. My hands were traveling further up and with the third mentioning on my name, she pulled away from me and sat up slightly. "Gordo… as much as I would love to give.. my… that part of me to you," she began. It was so endearing the way she avoided using the term "virginity". "I'm just not ready to make that step. I'm still young and it's just too much of a worry to put on myself. I mean what if something goes wrong? And what if… bad things happen? And what if-" I cut her off with a sweet kiss.

"Lizzie, I'm sorry. I don't know what got into my head… all I know is that once I was going I had trouble stopping. I don't want to force you into anything you're not ready for; I never would. You're my top priority and I would never hurt you, ever. You just have no idea what you do to me, McGuire." I saw the tension in her eyes ease up, and then she smiled a smile at me that said she knew something I didn't. "What?" I asked her.

"Well," she laughed out. "I kind of… um… have an idea about.. what I do to you."  She smiled. I looked at her, befuddled for a second until I realized that she couldn't probably feel the stiffness in my lower extremities, which her hips were currently aligned with. I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Oh-I, um, can't really control what goes on… I mean, I-uh.. I'm sorry, Lizzie. I, uh, can go t-take care of it in the- God, I'm sorry." I spit out. She kissed me and smiled.

"I understand," she said in a soft tone. She got up off of me. "Uh, why don't you go…." She didn't have to finish her sentence. I quickly rushed to the bathroom and - how can I put this lightly? - relieved myself. Afterwards, I found my way back to the couch with Lizzie, sat down and pulled her into my arms. She nuzzled up to me and rested her head against my shoulder. We sat like that in silence, like we often do, for a while until she broke the silence.

"Gordo?"

"Yes, Angel?"

"I love you." She said. I was stunned.

"I- what?" I blurted. "I mean, I love you, too. And don't think I don't appreciate the sentiment, I guess I'm just confused that you say you love after… what I just… yeah…"

"That's exactly the reason. Most guys would have pressured a girl into something like that, but you didn't. You understood my reasons, and I really appreciate it. It made me think that I'm so incredibly lucky that you care enough about me to put my wants before your wants. You're so good to me and I have to wonder what I could have done to deserve you."

"What you've done? Lizzie, you're the nicest person I've ever met. Look at all the things you do for other people. Like how you put away your uncomfortable feelings about Ronnie to make Miranda happy and how you've done all that you can to help Miranda heal. You're always giving, Lizzie, and never asking for anything in return. I want to give you the things that you should be getting in return." I kissed her forehead and she thanked me. We sat in each others arms for the rest of the time we spent together and, honestly, I wouldn't have wanted to spend the time any other way.

**A/N: This chapter was hard to write because I knew where I wanted to go, I just wasn't sure how I was going to get there. I don't want to give anything away, but this scene will end up being prominent in the events to come, so keep that in mind as the story continues. I'm still only planning on a few more chapters and then probably a sequel. Keep submitting reviews, guys!**


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

Disclaimer: Please, please, please tell me you know the deal by now? Oh, you do? That's great.

Chapter Twenty-One:

_Anonymous Viewpoint:_

"I had a really good time today, Gordo." Lizzie said, over the phone.  It was later in the night, and the two were sharing their customary phone call before bed.

"Me, too. And – I can't apologize adequately for what happened today." 

"Listen, you've apologized and I accepted. It's no big deal because you understood me reasons and didn't push me into anything. So, stop feeling sorry because you didn't do anything wrong."

"You're incredible, McGuire. Don't ever forget that."  He smiled.

"You're not so bad yourself." She responded, and then yawned. "I better get going, I'm really tired. I'll see you tomorrow sometime?"

"Definitely. Love you, Angel" 

"Love you too, Gordo. Night." After he wished her a goodnight, she hung up the receiver and prepared herself for bed. As she lay in her bed, waiting for sleep to discover her, she reflected on the day's proceedings. Suddenly finding it stuffy inside her room, she got up to open her window and let the night's calm air waft into her room. As soon as her head rested against the pillow afterwards, she fell into a comfortable slumber. Little did she know that opening the window was the worst mistake she could have made that night.

About an hour after she had fallen asleep, a dappled figure found it's way to her house, and began climbing up the tree that aligned with Lizzie's bedroom window. Inside of his mind, he cheered at his coincidence as he found Lizzie's window open. This enabled him to effortless admission. If the window had been closed, he would have had to shatter it to get in and threaten getting caught before finishing his mission. After elevating himself into her window, he stood gawked at the quiescent figure. 'Finally,' He thought to him 'I'll have my way with her.'

He took cautious steps towards the bed, careful not to cause the floor creek or trip over anything. He slyly crawled onto the bed, his body over Lizzie's. She stirred a bit in her sleep and then realized that something was balanced over her. Her eyes fluttered open, at first packed with mystification, but as she began to distinguish the face above her, the confusion turned to fright. There, above her, was Ronnie with that same evil glare and mischievous smile. She opened her mouth to scream, but before any sound could escape, his lips were forced against hers.

"Don't scream." He grunted.

"R-Ronnie?" She asked, her bottom lip tremulous. "W-What are you doing here-" He pressed his lips vigorously against hers.

"You're lucky you're hot, Lizzie. Otherwise you're foolishness would be a real turn off." He breathed between forceful kisses placed on her neck. "I said I'd have you and now I will." She looked down towards the end of her bed and noticed that Ronnie was dressed in simply a wife beater and boxers. He bit down on her neck, and she took in a sharp breath.

"Please, Ronnie!" She begged. "Please, don't do this."

"There's nothing you can do now, sweetheart. Once I've started, I just can't stop." He removed the bed coverings from her body and then began to unfasten her pajama top. His body was hard-pressed against hers and her mind was racing. What should she do? How could she handle this? She decided to take her chances.

"HELP!" She screamed out, as she attempted to push Ronnie off of her. Her attempts only caused him to force himself upon her further. He put his hand over her mouth, trying to silence her while he kissed Lizzie cleavage. She bit down on his hand and he pulled away hastily. 

"You bitch! Keep quiet." He said, slapped her face and then continued his business on her chest. She couldn't afford to keep quiet, she was in the process of being raped and she was going to stop it no matter what it took.

"HELP! MOM! DAD!" She screamed out again. He slapped her again, muttered a few more profane words and was inching her bra strap down as her parents rushed into the room.

"Lizzie! Are you o- What is going on here?" Jo shouted nervously. Ronnie quickly jumped up and rushed towards the window.

"DON'T YOU DARE MOVE, YOUNG MAN!" Sam yelled at him, but it was no use. Before anyone could understand what had occurred, Ronnie was out the window and only an illustration to the mind. Jo quickly rushed to the bed to cradle Lizzie in her arms, while Lizzie buttoned her top, tears streaming down her face. "I'm calling the police, pronto." Sam announced and then exited.

"Oh, Lizzie. Are you alright?" Jo asked, with tears filling her eyes.

"I-I…" Lizzie couldn't speak; she sobbed into her mother's chest. 

"Lizzie, what can I do? How can I help you? Please." She insisted.

"Gordo.."

"What?"

"Gordo! I need him. Please, mom, get him for me." 

**A/N: Whew. That chapter was hard, too. Jeeze. Anyways, send some reviews. Hope you guys enjoyed. **


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

Disclaimer: insert pseudo-witty comment about how I don't own Lizzie McGuire or anything in relation to it here 

Chapter Twenty-two:

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

"Mom, I really need Gordo…." I sobbed and then looked up at her. She nodded solemnly and gave me a look that asked if I'd be okay without her. I nodded in response, telling her I'd be all right. When she left the room, I pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging them and rocked back and forth. After a few minutes, my mom came back to my room.

"Honey, I called Gordo and he's on his way. Why don't you go downstairs and wait for him? I'll make you some hot chocolate, too." She said. I got up and walked towards the door, where my mom hugged me and kissed my forehead. I walked downstairs and flopped myself onto the couch where I waited for Gordo.

"Thanks, mom." I sniffled as she handed me a cup of hot chocolate. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She smiled and me as I took a sip, and then the doorbell rang. She started towards the doorway, but I got up and stopped her. "I can do this myself. I-I just need some time alone?" I asked. She nodded, approving.

I opened the door, thinking that I'd calmed down since the incident and I'd be calm when I talked about it with Gordo. But, I saw him standing there, looking worried and I felt my heart crash. I threw my arms around him and immediately began sobbing again.

"Oh, Gordo!" I cried. He hesitantly put his arms around me, probably confused.

"L-Lizzie.. what happened? I got this call from your mom saying you needed me. Are you okay? What's wrong?" I continued to cry into his shoulder. "Maybe we should go inside." I took myself off of him and stumbled over towards the couch, leading him with my hand. We sat and he pulled me into his arms. I was silent. "Hey, come on, Lizzie. You can tell me." He said.

"Gordo.. after you hung up the phone, it was hot and I opened my window and I went to sleep thinking I was fine, but then Ronnie climbed through the window and kissed me and told me not to scream, and he started unbuttoning my shirt, saying he was finally going to "have me" and I screamed even though he said not to and he slapped me, and then my parents came in and he left out the window and I'm so sorry, Gordo."

"Whoa….whoa," He said, looking stunned. I realized then that I what I had just said probably wasn't understandable, but he continued speaking. "Everything was comprehensible until Ronnie showed up. Let me see if I can piece this together: it was hot, so you opened the window?" I nodded. "Then, after you had fallen asleep, Ronnie entered your room through your window?" I nodded again. "And, basically, he tried to rape you?" I bit my lip, and my tears streamed down my cheeks again.

"Gordo, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"What are you sorry about? You didn't do anything. Lizzie, you're the victim in this situation. I mean, he came into YOUR window, and he's the one who's been trying pressurize you into things you don't want. None of this is your liability." 

"I just.. I-I wish it had never happened. I feel so stupid because I hadn't opened the window, none of this would have happened. I feel so… so… dirty. Don't you think I'm dirty?"

"No. Never. Lizzie, you didn't _do _anything. And… the window thing? Simple human nature. How were you supposed to know that a crazy psychopath was going to break into your house and attempt raping you?" 

"I guess you're right."

"Besides, it's that kind of thing that makes like interesting. Maybe not this precise situation, but not having the capability to know what's going to happen as a consequence to what you're doing now makes life appealing." He said, and I laughed slightly.

"You know, leave it to you to turn a situation like this into something thoughtful." I turned my body so that I could wrap my arms up above his neck. My tears were almost dry, but I could tell that my eyes were red and puffy, and my nose was still a bit runny.

"There's that smile I love." He smiled, too. I kissed him softly, and after we pulled away, he spoke. "You know, Lizzie, I can't help but feel a bit guilty because of what happened earlier today. You know…  It's just so ironic that this occurred right after our episode."

"Hey, you said it yourself. How were you supposed to know?" I smiled at him.

"I guess you're right. It's just so uncharacteristic."

"Don't worry about it, you weren't trying to force me into anything and Ronnie was."

"You're right. So… are you okay?" 

"Well, I'm not healed, I mean something like this is really traumatizing, but I'm feeling better."

"S-So, do you think that I should go? I mean, I don't want to crowd you or anything. This is difficult and being so close might bother you."

"No, please don't. I want you to stay and hold me so I'll feel safe. Just stay here and hold me tonight." I repositioned myself and rested against his body.

"I-…O-Okay." He stuttered. He, too, repositioned himself on the couch so he was lying on his side, and then pulled my body against his and held his arms around my waist. He brought his mouth to my ear and whispered, "I love you, McGuire."  Then kissed my cheek.

"I love you, too." I said back, and then we were silent until we both fell asleep.

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long, I've been busy and stuff. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and expect more soon. For those of you wondering, yes I'm planning on writing a sequel, but I need to wrap up what happens in this one first. Thanks, guys! **


	24. Chapter TwentyThree

Disclaimer:

One of the reviewers made a request

I don't rap well, but I'll do my best

I don't own nothin' from this TV show

But if I did, I'd make lots an' lot o' dough.

A/N: This is the last chapter. ::sniff:: I know you're all probably sad, but don't forget there's a sequel coming your way. I end school in about a week and a half, so I might not get anything from the sequel going until hell school is over with. I'm glad you guys have enjoyed this story, and I look forward to writing more soon! Thanks for all the support, you guys deserve awards (especially my psychic buddy, Bob! 3!)! 

Chapter Twenty-Three:

_Lizzie's Viewpoint:_

Just a month had gone by since Ronnie tried to take advantage of me and so many things had happened! My dad had called the police that night, and Ronnie was arrested at his house the very next day. Yesterday was the trial, where Ronnie was officially found guilty of attempted rape, and would be serving in Juvenile Hall for six months. I, personally, didn't think that was enough time, but what am I going to do? Tell a judge who's had years of experience that he's wrong? Nah, I'm sure everything will work out fine.

Miranda's also gotten a lot better, too. I'm so glad she's okay. As far as I know, she hasn't been hurting herself physically anymore, but she still gets upset sometimes. She knows that I'm here for her and she usually calls me when she's really upset. I do my best to take her mind off all of the drama and we go to the mall or hang out somewhere. She was glad to hear that Ronnie was going to be put away for a while, so he couldn't run around damaging other girls' hearts.

Gordo and I were, of course, doing fine. He's been really helpful this past month; trying to help me forget. He always been really sweet to me and it's no different now. We celebrated our one-month anniversary just less than two weeks ago. Yeah, we're cheesy like that. It wasn't anything too special, because it was only one month. I went over to his house and he made me a nice dinner. Then we just watched movies and cuddled. It was really nice to just hang out with him, and to be with someone that I know loves me. And I love him back.

So, I guess all of this teaches a really important lesson. Well, a few important lessons. First of all, don't ignore your instincts. If you really feel uncomfortable about something, say so. Even if it might hurt someone, you have to be honest. Sometimes it feels nice to ignore your feelings for the sake of someone else's, but something like Ronnie could happen to you, too. So, I guess if there's a next time, I won't overlook what I'm feeling.

Secondly, never be afraid to find love close to you. People talk about having to search all their lives to find that perfect someone, and maybe they just didn't know that it was right there the entire time! You never know; you're best friend could be the love of your life! Don't be afraid to love them, because it's not weird. And, in all reality, why would it be? It's someone you've known for a long time, get along with well, and love as a friend. So, why couldn't they be more than a friend? It all depends on how you feel about each other. You could find love at home, or that just might work out that way. Life's funny like that.

And lastly, the lesson everyone learns at least a bajillion times when their a kid. Never underestimate the power of a good friendship. Or your family, for that matter. You can always count on your friends' and family's love and support if you've got a problem. I'm really glad to have Miranda and Gordo as friends, and my family too. Sometimes even Matt surprises me and tries to help out, instead of make fun of me. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a big fan of Matt, but it's nice when we can both work together. Without my mom and dad, I don't know. I'd probably be dead or something. Parents are weird. You hate them, you love them. There's life being funny again. But, none of that matters as long as you know you can always count on your friends and family.

The end.


End file.
